IPA Media Futures Group welcomes new PATS ad platform

The IPA Media Futures Group has backed a new platform for buying and selling ad space, which it believes has the potential to make transactions more efficient across print and digital.

08/07/2014

In the modern media landscape where time is at a premium and audiences are delivered across multiple platforms, it is hoped that the Publisher Advertising Transition System (PATS) will streamline transactions and invoicing between publishers and agencies, for all newsbrand platforms, providing information in real time for both sides.

The system will be funded by five Newsworks stakeholders working together on behalf of the industry – News UK, Mail Newspapers, Telegraph Media Group, Guardian Media Group and ESI Media. It will be compatible with all agency platforms including Adazzle, Mediaocean Prisma and proprietary agency software. PATS is described as a ‘technology bridge’ between the agency platform and publisher platform.

Rufus Olins, CEO of the marketing body for national news brands, Newsworks, said: “There is a real appetite for a system that improves efficiencies for publishers and agencies and we are delighted that three of the biggest agency groups are already working with us. You could say this platform is overdue but arriving as it does now, it will offer access to total audiences, across all platforms, and make life much simpler. It is good to see the newspaper industry collaborating on this important issue.”

Tom George, Chairman of the IPA Media Futures Group and WPP’s MEC, said: “An electronic transaction system between agencies and publishers makes eminent sense. In the modern media landscape, time is at a premium and the PATS system has the potential to streamline important but labour intensive processes.”

Tim Neligan, Commercial Director, VivaKi says: "We continue to explore enhanced automation, consistency and efficiency in an increasingly complex market and welcome the opportunity to work with PATS on publisher transactions to achieve this goal.’"

David Pemsel, Deputy Chief Executive, Guardian News & Media said: "The way our readers consume news in print and on mobile devices is evolving rapidly. Today over 40% of the Guardian's digital content is accessed via mobiles and tablets, and this percentage is growing. We therefore believe it is critical that we deliver a seamless advertising buying and selling experience."

PATS will be rolled out across the national news-brands early in 2015 and will also be extended to include magazine publishers and regional newspapers. Newsworks is currently talking to the PPA about magazine brands joining the initiative.